Sewing-machine.



C. H. GREENWOOD.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-3|. I9l4.

Patented July 6, 1915.

lnven'Tor. Churies H. Greenwood yXmwL Fig.1.

WiTnesse's.

M ATTys I i l ill l CHARLES H.

GREENWOOD, OF BROGKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SEWING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1915.

Application filed August 31, 1914. Serial No. 859,278.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES II. GREEN- wooD, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brockton, county of Plymouth, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Sewing-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in sewing machines and has forone of its objects to arrange and locate the tension, check spring, take up and thread guides so that the path of the thread from the tension device to the eye of the needle is less than is customary and is in a substantially straight line and thereby to obtain the advantage of a more direct and eliicient control of the thread.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tension and takeup mechanism of such a character that the thread may be drawn by a single movement of thehand directly into the tension and take up mechanism without the necessity of being wound around or passed through thread guides or recesses in the take-up mechanism which in machines in common usage requires considerable skill and if improperly done interferes with the proper action of the machine.

It will be obvious that the mechanism herein described may be located wholly or partly outside of the head of the machine. It preferably is so arranged as to be located wholly within the head as is illustrated in the accompanying drawings whereby the parts will be protected from accident and from disarrangement by children and others who might attempt readjustments thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide take up mechanism within the head of the machine so arranged that when the take up members are positioned to permit the thread to run freely between the same the take-up will be properly positioned to permit the thread to be drawn therein through a slot in the wall of the head by a single movement of the hand.

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the accompanying description and drawings and will be particu larly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the head of the sewing machine embodying my invention, the face plate having been removed to display the operative parts of the tension and take up mechanism and their relation to the needle bar and needle. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View through the head of the machine on lines 2-2 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the face plate illustrating in dotted lines the position of the thread engaging members of the take-up.

The present invention is particularly adapted for the usual type of family or factory sewing machine which as is well known comprises a base plate with an arm rising therefrom and terminating in a rectangular head in which the needle bar and presser foot are mounted, the complementary stitch forming mechanismand feeding mechanism being usually located Within or below the base plate.

Inasmuch as the present invention only relates to the tension and take-up mechanism and in the means for guiding the thread to the needleonly the head of the machine which embodies the novel elements has been illustrated. It is to be understood however, thatthis invention is adapted for use in various types of machines whether employing one or more needles and that the take-up may be arranged or adjusted to accord with the other elements of the stitch forming elements of which it forms a part.

s shown in the drawings the head 1 is rectangular in form and is integral with the end of the usual arm 2 which incloses the main shaft of the machine. The head 1 is provided with the usual bearings in its top and bottom walls for the needle bar 3 and presser foot 4:, the latter being raised and lowered by a lever 5. The needle bar desirably is reciprocated through a link 6 pivotally attached at one end to the needle bar and at its opposite end to an arm 8 extending laterally from a disk 9 carried by the main shaft 10. The members above described, however, may be of any other usual construction.

The principal features of this invention consist in inolosing the take-up and tension within the head and in so arranging the same that the thread may be led directly through the same to the needle eye by a single movement of the hand of the operator. In order to accomplish this result the take-up is constructed of one or more, preferably two, oscillatory members or levers 11, 12, provided with thread engaging means such as studs or preferably rollers 13, 13 having reversely disposed conical portions forming reentrant surfaces 14, 15 which will cooperate to retain the thread in proper position during the operation of the machine. The ends of the studs adjacent to the outer face of thecasing desirably may be beveled, cone shaped as at 16 or spherical to facilitate the introduction of the thread between the take. up. members. The main take up member 11 desirably is provided with two or morev thread engaging studs or rollers and preferably is pivoted near its upper end upon a stud 17 projecting from the wall of the head, the extension 18. beyond said pivot 17 preferably being pivotally connected to an car 20 upon a cap strap 21 which encircles a suitable cam on the main shaft 10, or which as, disclosed herein comprises a suitably formed portion of the disk 9-. The lower or complementary take-up member 12 islikewise provided, with thread engaging studs'or rollers 13, and preferably is pivotare also provided in ally mounted near its. lower end upon a stud or screw 22. The lower end of the take up member is desirably provided with a lateral arm 23 Wl1i0l1i$ pivotally connected by a stud 2 1 to a link 25 which, in turn, is pivotally connected to a stud 26, upon a collar 27 adjustably secured to the needle bar. The take upmembers 11, 12 are so arranged that when the needle bar is partially elevated as shown in Fig. 1, they will be substantially parallel, permitting the thread to run freely, and presenting a, substantially free aperture for the insertion of the thread.

The tension device, which may be the usual pair of disks 30, 31 is desirably mounted upon a screw threaded pin 32 suitably secured within the head. The disk 31 may be yieldingly pressedagainst the disk in the usual manner by a helical spring 3 1 surrounding the pin 32, and its tension regulated'by a suitable milled nut 35, which may be rotated by the hand when the face plate is removed, or which may be provided with a slot or-recess 36 adapted to be engaged by a keyv inserted through a suitable aperture in the wall of the head. The tension device is. preferably so positioned that its contacting. faces are in a plane passing intermediate of the planes of the take up members when the, latter are in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, whereby the thread may be led directly from the tension device between the take up members to the eye of the needle.

The front face plate is desirably formed in two parts 39, 40, the adjacent edges of which when in position provide a slot 41 in alinement with the path of the thread through the tension and take up members when. the same are positioned to permit the thread to run freely. Suitable slots 42, 43 the upper and lower walls; of the head to permit the thread to enter to the proper position between the take up members whereby it may run directly through the head of the machine to the needle eye. Suitably positioned stationary guiding studs may be provided, if desired, to assist in positioning the thread and also to increase the action of the take. up, or in certain instances stationary studs may be used in place of one of the movable take-up members.

In operation the thread is led from the spool which may be located as usual upon a stand upon the top of the sewing machine arm to the slot at the upper end of the head. It is then drawn directly downward into the slot in, the upper and the vertical walls and pressed backward within the slot in the lower wall of the head. The beveled or conical ends of the takeup members guiding the thread easily into. its operative position between the studs of the take up members. The end of the thread is then passed through the eye of the needle and the machine is ready to. sew.

hen the machine is started relative movement, is imparted to the take up members in synchronism with the reciprocating movement of the needle bar. As disclosed herein the main take up member 11 is oscillated in one direction while the complementary take up member 12 is oscillated in the other direction causing the studs 13, 13' to cross the path of the threads in opposite directions so that the thread is bent into a sinuous form. The upper portion of the thread is held by the tension device so that the thread is taken up and the stitch set upon the oscillation of the take up members in the opposite direction, the thread is paid off in the usual manner. Suitable means may be provided for adjusting the effective movement of the take up as by adjusting. the collar upon the needle bar or the cam upon the main shaft, or both, or by changing the leverage of one or both of the take up levers.

While the construction. herein illustrated and described is the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious that it may be incorporated in other forms, for example, the main and complementary take up members and the tension may be so positioned as to. permit the thread to pass through a slot in the side of the head instead of the face thereof, or the take up members may be in the form of oscillating or rotatable disks, cylinders, or standards having laterally projecting studs, the actuation of said members being accomplished through suitable cams and links connected with the main drivingshaft or a supplemental driving member. It will also be obvious that the form, size and position of the take up members may be varied widely within the purview of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new ters Patent is;

1. In a sewing machine, a head, a reciproand desire to obtain by Let- .cating needle bar mounted therein, a take up comprising two cooperating'series of alternately arranged thread engaging members adapted to be disposed in parallelism and slightly separated, a tension device arranged closely adjacent to the take-up in alinement with the spaces between said series of take-up members when thus disposed whereby the thread may be introduced from the spool into said tension and take-up mechanism by one movement of the hand of the operator, and means to cause relative movement of said thread engaging members.

2. In a sewing machine, a head provided with a slot across its face, a reciprocating needle bar mounted in said head, a tension device, take up mechanism within said head comprising members adapted to be positioned upon opposite sides of said slot whereby the thread may be led directly through said take up mechanism to the eye of the needle and means for actuating said take up mechanism to cause the thread engaging members thereof to cross the path of the thread and thereby to bend the thread into sinuous form to set the stitch.

3. In a sewing machine, a slotted head, a reciprocating needle bar mounted therein, talre up mechanism within said head comprising a plurality of pivotally arranged. members having thread engaging studs normally disposed on opposite sides of said slot and means for actuating said thread engaging members to cause the same simultaneously to cross the path of the thread and thereby to take up the thread and set the stitch.

4. In a sewing machine, a head, a reciproeating needle bar mounted therein, a pair of pivotally mounted take up members provided with alternately disposed studs and means operable respectively from the needle bar and its actuating mechanism to cause the thread engaging studs of the take up members simultaneously to cross the path of the thread in opposite directions to take up he thread and set the stitch.

In a sewing machine, a head, a reciprocating needle bar mounted therein, a tension device, means for guiding the thread from said tension device directly to the eye of the needle, a main take-up member having thread engaging studs provided with conical ends and a complementary take-up member having similar cooperating studs alternately disposed in relation thereto, and means operable to cause the studs of the main take up member to cross the path of the thread and the plane of the studs of the complementary take-up member.

6. In a sewing machine, a head, a reciprocating needle bar mounted therein, a tension device, and means for guiding the thread from said tension device directly to the eye of the needle, a take up intermediate of the tension device and needle comprising a main lever having a plurality ofstuds, an eccentric connected to the main shaft of the machine and to said main take up. lever, a complementary take up lever having a plurality of studs disposed in alternate relation to the studs on said main take up lever, and means connected to the needle bar for oscillating said complementary take up lever.

7. In a sewing machine, a head provided with a slot across its face, a reciprocating needle bar mounted therein, a take-up comprising a plurality of relatively movable thread engaging members having reversely disposed reentrant surfaces normally disposed upon opposite sides of said slot and means for actuating said thread engaging members to cause the same to cross the path or" the thread whereby said reentrant surfaces will engage the thread when introduced into said slot and position the same properly in the take-up mechanism.

8. In a sewing machine a head, a reciprocating needle bar mounted therein, a plurality of take up levers pivotally mounted respectively in the upper and lower ends of said head, and each provided with thread engaging studs having beveled ends, said thread engaging members being adapted to be positioned substantially in parallelism to permit the insertion of thread, a tension device in alinement with the opening between the take-up members when thus positioned whereby the thread may be introduced into the tension and take-up mechanism and lead to the needle by one movement of the hand, and means for oscillating said levers to cause the thread engaging studs thereof to cross the path of the thread and thereby to take up the thread to set the stitch.

9. In a sewing machine, a slotted head, a reciprocating needle bar mounted therein, take up members within said head comprising a plurality of thread engaging members having reversely disposed reentrant thread guiding surfaces and beveled ends adapted to direct the thread when inserted in said slot to said reentrant surfaces and means for relatively moving said thread engaging members to cause the same to cross the path of the thread.

10. A sewing machine, a slotted head, a reciprocating needle bar mounted therein, a tension device and take up mechanism inclosed within said head, said take up mechanism comprising relatively movable members having thread engaging studs normally disposed on opposite sides of said slot whereby the thread may be introduced through said slot between said take up members and means for actuating said take up members to cause the same to cross the path of the thread and thereby to bend the thread Copies of this patent may be obtained for tions adapted to direct the thread to the thread engaging portion substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my 15 name to this specification, in the presence oi: two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. GREENWOOD.

Witnesses .FREDERICK A. TENNANT,

THOMAS J. DRUMMOND.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

